Seal



n stares rarer Q Medel@ l ein JOHN L DINSMOOR, O'BNOKLYN, NEW ioni; A's'sreQNonf'ro Nettoie ciNb eLosURE CORPORATION, or LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK', A vooRie'oiaimzN kor NEW YORK.

SEAL.v

Application sied Jun@ 1o, i921. serial No. 7a3-9o.

To crZZw/wmz'tmag/ concern.' Y

V.Be it known that I, JOHN L. DIfNsMOoR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, inthecounty 5 of lings, State OfNevv Yorkhave invented1 new and useiul Improvements 1n Seals,'oi"k which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seals of the shackle variety and resides `particularly in the provision of novelmeans for 'securing a shackle to a keeper insuch fashion Vas to provide a permanent connection which vdoes not admit of detachment or tampering; withA- out detection., Y

The general purpose of the invention is to providel a form of seal which may be constructed at a very loiv cost and used Without special appliances and at the same time a'-, ford the necessary security and safeguard against alteration Vor tampering. A more specic object of the invention-is the provision of a yform of seal which may be made and .assembled entirely byp'unching operations, thereby 'facilitating themanufacture of the articles in large quantities and at small labor cost. .l

A more speciiic object `of the invention is the provision of a form'of shackle seal Wherein a keeper isr provided for securing and housing'the ends oa shackle, the keeper being. operable originally. to deform orltwist together the ends of theshackle in such fashion as to prevent detachment of, the shackle from the4 keeperand `to effectively enclose vent theirrheing straightenedor untivi'sted to permit,theirivithdraival:from the keeper.

Other and further Objects will be obvious upon an-understending*,ot1 .theV invention, or will loe hereafter pointed out, or suggested, or vivill he indicated in the `appended claims. The drawings Show; an illustratiif'e emhodf iment of the invention, the same being merely one :of a great variety of forms in Whichit may he incorporated. In said drawings Figure l is a longitudinal section throughl the keeper showing the shackle in its secured or twistedv condition; F igure 2 is a' longitudinal section through the. keeper at right-angles to, F igfure' l;

Figure 3 is a top or end View ofV the keeper; Y .v

Figure 4 is a perspectiveillustrating a andprotect the securedoportions s o as to4 prei step in thevconstruction theharel pori-.1 tion ,of the keeper illustrated in F igures l` Fig-ure 5 is a,longitudinal,sectionalqvieniillustrating a modified form of the barrel portion; ,l Figure Gis a lview illustrating.aanodied form of shackle and its manner of applicationto a keeper, While, Figures and 8 are perspective ,views illustrating modifiedtorms of shackles., A v Referring to these illnstrati'onshy means of the reference numerals applied, let it ,bei

understood -thatthe 'numeralj l .designates generallythe vshackle, ,por tionof the seal. This may be in the' form eta.'d uctilest`ri p such as a Wire or a vriloloon of m etal and., it may be provided with the customanyidem tijt'ying characters la and ters lb adjacent the point atwhich itis de signed toA enter the keeper..- The keeper is formed of relatively movableV partscomprisf The closure may hein the foirrilof a= metal plate with the apertures-,et1 arrangedabout its middle,-fand the closureand barrel may be. secured together byfhavingthe marginal portionot the former langedover a. peripheral tlange 2a of the latter, as illustrated at 4:9.; the connectionloeing such. as to permit relative rotation of theptivo members on an axis longitudinal 'of thebarrel.; 4, 'lhe metal ot the closure .adjacent the` apertures?, in#

Acluding an intervening strip' 4 0, constitutes WhatrI ivill-term a connectingportion, as it constitutes means fot connectionor attachment to the shackle-- The portion ofthe barrel :indicated at Q2- which I ,Will term theret'aining portion, isdisposed substantiall;7 in alignment Y'with the aperturesa,

longitudinally of the keeper, and V`V is of proper Width to receive, with afa-irly close tit, theyend portionsef the shackle, and to imi act eliectively in retaining them against'.

y bled over one upon another,

relative rotation and against rotation relative to the barrel member. ln the compressing 0f the walls of the conical blank the portion constituting the small base or end of the cone frustum folds inwardly to provide a. spacing member 2d which gives .the proper spacing to the wallsrof the retaining portion 2.

In the utilization of the device, the shackle is passed through the intended loop to which the seal is to be. attached, and the end portions are inserted through the apertures 4t and into the retaining portion 2C. The closure member and barrel then being given relative rotation, which is done simply by manipulation with the fingers, the end portions of the shackle will be twisted together within the keeper, in the manner illustrated at la in Figure l. rlhis twisting together of the end portions of the shackle joins or distorts them in such fashion as to prevent their withdrawal through the apertures Lla, the connecting portion of the keeper operating effectively to retain them, and incident te this twisting of the end portions of the shackle, their extent within the keeper is shortened, due to their being douso that they are finally withdrawn automatically from the engagement of the engaging portion 2c. Relative rotation of the barrel and closure members being continued until they are movable entirely freely, operates electively to bend the ends of the shackle to a position or form in which they cannot be re-engaged in the retaining portion'QC. Thus reverse rotation of the barrel and closure will not operate to untwist or straighten out the deformed portions of the shackle.

This firmly secures the shackle and keeper together, the portions of the former whereby the connection is perfected being completelyenclosed and within the keeper and protected against tampering. The application of force by relative traction upon the shackle and keeper in an attempt to cause theformer to straighten out, will simply rupture the metal of Vthe closure, rendering it plainly evident that the seal has been violated.

ln ord-er to insure complete engagement of the ends of the shackle in the retaining portion, they may be formed in the manner illustrated in Figure 6, wherein the entremities are doubled back to provide gauge inembers lc. rFliese provide spacers in'requiring that the extremities of the shackle be completely inserted in the engaging portion QC in order that the portions lc may be entirely inserted through the apertures 4ta.' 1n Figure 5 is illustrated a variation of the form of barrel, the retaining portion being formed by an obstruction such as designated by the numeral 5 placed in the'lower portion of the barrel in such fashion as to retain the ends of the shackle against relative rotation, or against rotation relative to the barrel. Y

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate variations in the form of shackle. Figure 7 illustrates a form in which Vthe shackle may be constructed of wire, the same being liattened at intervals to provide detecting members 6 and having it send portions iiattened as at 7 to facilitate their distortion or twisting within the keeper. In Figure 8 the outerY portion of the shackle is shown wider than the length of the apertures d, the end portions of the shackle being folded back and the folded portion reduced in width so as to permit their insertion through the apertures. The projecting ears 8 form detectf ing members, and also form means by which the seal may be tested, as any fracture of the shackle within the keeper will result in these ear portions being detached so that they would fall oft, or be veasily pulled off upon inspection. lt is obvious, of course, that various adaptations of the embodiments illustrated may be made without departing from the scope of the invention yas set out in the claims. The form of the device permits the barrel being cast or molded, as of glass, which will permit the inspection of i the contained portions ofthe shackle.

1n the construction of the device of sheet metal, it may be made in its entirety by punching operations, one to formthe barrel, and another to form the cup-shaped closure, and the third to liange the two together. It is obvious that this will contribute to the construction of the device at a very low cost.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is: Y

l. A seal comprising a ductile shackle and a.' keeper, the latter including relatively rotatable members arranged to' enclose end parts of the shackle and having portions arranged te engage partsof the shackle to cause it to be twisted upon relative rotation ofY said members, one ofsaid portions affording means of permanent attachment to the shackle and another of said portions affording a temporary yattachment to the shackle, which is automatically disengaged upon twisting thereof. I

2. A seal comprising a ductile shackle and a keeper, the latter including relatively rotatable members arranged to receivev and enclose end parts of the shackle, said meinbers having portions 1 effective to engage parts of the shacklel at points spaced apart thereon toeffect distortion of said parts upon rotation ofV said members, one of said portions being automatically disengaged Ior temporary end portions of the shackle thereinto; said keeper including relatively rotatable portions one of which is adapted for permanent engagement with the shackle and the other engagement therewith to effect distortion of the shackle Within the keeper upon relative rotation of said parts.

et. A seal comprising a ductile shackle and a keeper including a barrel member and a. closure connected to provide a receptacle for the ends of the shackle, said barrel and closure portions being relatively rotatable and having portions spaced apart longitudinally7 of their axis for separately engaging the shackle to effect its distortion upon their relative movement.

5. A seal comprising the combination of a ductile shackle and a keeper constructed to afford a receptacle forend portions thereof, said keeper including' a relatively rotatable barrel and a closure, the latter being apertured to permit the introduction of 'the shackle into the barrel, and said barrel in-rV cluding an engaging portion directed toward the apertured portion of the closure for the reception of the extremities of the shackle, said engaging portion being spaced apart from the closure longitudinally of the axis of the barrel.

G. A seal comprising a ductile shackle and a keeper, the latter being formedas a receptacle apertured to permit the insertion of end portions of the shackle and including an engaging member movable relative to the shackle and adapted for temporary engagenient therewith to effect distortion thereof within the keeper.

7. A seal comprising a ductile shackle and a keeper, the latter being formed as a receptacle apertured to permit the insertion of end portions of the shackle and including an engaging member movable relative to the shackle and adapted for temporary engagement therewith to effect distortion thereof Within the keeper, said engaging member being arranged to permit disengagement of the shackle therefrom Within the keeper automatically upon predetermined distortion of the shackle. c

8. A seal comprising a ductile shackle and a keeper, the latter including a closure portion apertured to permit insertion of end portions of the shackle and effective to retain the shackle against relative rotation, and a barrel member attached to the closure and cluding an engaging portion arranged to engage a portion of the shackle and cause it to be twisted about its longitudinal dimension upon relative rotation of the closure and barrel.

9. A ductile end portions, and a keeper, the latter including relatively movable members arrangedV to enclose end portions of the shackle, one of'said members including a connection portion adapted to engage the shackle, and the other of said members including an engaging portion arranged to engage portions of the shackle Within the keeper to effect distortion thereof, said engaging portion being automatically disengageable from portions of the shackle Within the keeperv upon predetermined relative movement of said members. Y

Jol-IN L. niNsMooR.

rotatable thereon, said barrel member in` seal comprising a shackle having 

